Overview

• Delegations at the eighth High-Level Meeting reaffirmed commitments to deepen coordination on maritime search and rescue, pollution response, law enforcement and capacity building under a 2018 MoU.
• The Sri Lanka Coast Guard delegation is in India through August 14 for follow-up interactions, joint exercises and technical assistance exchanges.
• Officials underscored the sharing of best practices and joint training as key to improving regional maritime safety, security and environmental stewardship.
• The Indian Navy is set to commission two frontline frigates, Udaygiri (F35) and Himgiri (F34), simultaneously at Visakhapatnam on August 26.
• Defence sources noted that the frigates reflect an ecosystem of over 200 MSMEs supporting roughly 4,000 direct and more than 10,000 indirect jobs under Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.